The Donkey

The daughter of a sister comes on Wednesday afternoons for help with reading but Wednesday mornings are mine.  For me.  To do what I want.

This Wednesday a sister called to ask had I seen the donkey outside my compound?  No.

I went outside and met this.

The poor thing was too weak? sick? injured? to get up.  She'd obviously been there all night.  People were just walking past ignoring her.  Apart from the horrible kids who were poking her with a stick.  The treatment of animals is terrible here.  For me it's the hardest thing to cope with.  I took the stick and poked it in the face of a boy.  I asked how he would like it if someone poked him while he was sick?  I also told the gathering crowd that if I see any of them touch this donkey with a stick I'll beat them till they DIE! 

The donkey kept trying to get up but couldn't.  I brought her a bowl of water which she drank almost in one go.  You can see from the ground we haven't had rain for about 5 months so she can't have been eating or drinking properly.  I collected some greenery from our compound and she ate that too.  Then a foal appeared.

Both animals were really thirsty and when they realized I was the one providing for them they let me stroke them.  They were both so gentle and lovely.

After many handfuls of food and three bowls of water she seemed to perk up a little and made more effort to get up.  Then a terrible thing happened.  The poor girl urinated blood and some nasty looking yellow stuff.  I jumped in the car and went to get a vet.  Eventually I found one but by the time we got back the donkey had recovered enough to get up and walk.  We asked passersby if anyone had seen her but no one had.  She would just be ignored.  We drove around all the blocks near our house but we didn't find her.  It was awful.  The donkey was obviously in need of medical care, her owner doesn't even bother to feed her and we have no idea where she is and can't help her.

This is such a sad post.  If I find her I'll bring her to the compound and get the vet to her, but in the meantime I just have to hope that her owner finds her and starts to treat her properly.

I don't hold out much hope.


UPDATE  Tuesday 18 April.

I was going out to a study over the weekend and as I was opening the gate to get the car out the donkeys appeared being chased by three boys with sticks.  A man happened to be passing so I asked him to watch where they went and I got the car out.  He jumped in with me to show me the way and we followed the donkeys home. 

The owner was a very old man, very sick and lying under a tree, unable to even get up.  His sons have no interest in the donkeys.  The man couldn't speak English so through the sons I asked could I bring a vet?  He seemed really grateful.  He told me the donkey is 6 years old and this is her first foal.  While she was pregnant she was bitten by a snake and has never been well since.  The foal is now 8 months old.  He can't afford medical treatment, or even to buy food for them.

I couldn't get in touch with the vet over the long weekend (I used the local vet, not the brother I use for my own animals) but today I was able to take one along.  He found a big lump on her shoulder, it was full of pus.  He gave her antibiotics, multivitamins and something else I didn't catch for the bladder infection.  She needs repeat injections over the next three days.

The next problem was food.  I bought her a big bag of peanut hay which is apparently very healthy for them and they love.  I took it back and they both went wild for it!  It was so nice to see.

As for her future the vet is going to talk to him about letting her go to the donkey sanctuary where she will be cared for until she is well and then possibly sold.

Donkeys here don't have much of a life but this one deserves a little more than shes getting.